Florida’s top teacher goes to the White House

One of FIU’s own stood with the country’s elite teachers recently at the White House. Alexandre Lopes, Florida’s 2013 Teacher of the Year and a doctoral student in the College of Education, joined the top educators from other states to meet President Obama and vie for the title of National Teacher of the Year.

Pictured above in a light-gray suit, to the left of the President, in the front row, Lopes earned special recognition at the event when he ascended into the final four. Although he did not earn the number one spot, the special education teacher continues to inspire all who meet him.

A teacher at Carol City Elementary in Miami Gardens, Lopes, 44, works with a linguistically and culturally diverse group of children ages 3-5, some of whom are autistic. He credits a holistic approach to teaching as the reason he is able to reach all of his students and uses singing and dancing as two powerful tools to aid him.

“There is no more rewarding experience than to make a difference in the life of a child,” he said in a video message.

Click here to read a previous article about Lopes.